ailema feliciano: Day 1: Taipei 101, SYS Memorial Hall and Wufenpu

I need visa to travel to Taiwan. I applied online and I got approved but still the nagging feeling that I might be sent home was at the back of my head. Yeah, I am that paranoid. All I have was a printed visa still subject to approval on the airport. One lady was held up which heightened my anxiety. I got in smoothly. All that anxiety for nothing!!!

We took a very early flight to Taipei. I can't remember what time we got to the hotel but it was too early that we still had time to sleep. We woke up just in time for breakfast(or rather I woke up and shook Luke to wake up :P) and we left after lunch.

I took brochures from the airport. Although I have things to do picked out, I am still open to changes. After all, I didn't plan for this trip properly. I just want to go to Taipei 101, shop at the night markets and eat. Actually, I lied, I want to see and do everything. How horrible was that? VERY!

Taipei 101:

This photo was taken from the SYS Memorial Hall.

Taipei 101 is the tallest building in Taipei and the viewing deck on the 87th and the 88th floor is open for public everyday of the year. The 89th floor is open for viewing on special occassions.

Taipei is a cyclist haven! The roads are bike friendly. There are even slots for bikes on some trains.

Just like Petronas Tower where KLCC is, the lower part of Taipei 101 is converted to a high end shopping centre. Luke asked me to take photo of the "insides" of the tower.

While in queue.

Luke will kill me for saying this, but he IS VERY SCARED OF HEIGHTS. He wouldn't even go near the glass window on the 87th floor. The 88th floor was the proper outdoor viewing deck so I am assuming that that scared him even more. I love tricking him into looking outside. I am a bad girlfriend that way.

Just outside the Taipei 101 is the Love Sculpture. I've always wanted to see one and have a photo taken beside it. I saw one in Singapore when we visited in 2008 but I didn't get the chance to take photo of it. My bitchy mode kicked in during this photo session. It was very very windy that day and most photos are against the light. I said, he ruined it for me. I can be very horrible like that but dear boyfriend knows how to handle me and he knows when to take me seriously or not.

I have a very very good explanation for this photo. Dear boyfriend hates feet especially the TOE NAILS. I didn't pay attention to people's toe nails until I met him. He hates them long, triangular(which seems to be an asian disease), jewelled and the worst of all, long and pointy.

SYS Memorial Hall.

The garden here is amazing. Come to think of it, Taipei is very very green. Gardens and Parks are everywhere!

We also went to Guanghua IT Park were I switched to bitchy mode. I asked Luke how can he stand me. He said, apart from my bitchy mode, I've always been a good girlfriend to him. He also added that there are only 3 circumstances that I turn bitcy: a. when I am tired. b. when I am hungry and c. when I don't get things my way. I was bitchy because of b. We went to the first coffee shop that we saw where I had waffles and coffee. We went to look at the gadgets after. Guanghua IT Park is popular for cheap priced gadgets.

The trip didn't end there. After Guanghua IT Park, we went straight to Wufenpu for some night market shopping. We couldn't find it at first. Signage seems to be lacking in Taipei. Sometimes it says, exit for this but after exiting, you won't have any idea where to go. BTW, Wufenpu is the best night market in Taipei clothing wise. The clothes are very pricey(for night market) though but you'll get a massive selection. Clothes are very in fashion and youthful. I only got one skirt as I was very very tired to go through the whole market. It was massive!

We had a large noodle bowl each for dinner. None of us can read Chinese characters and most diners give you a sheet of paper to tick orders, we have to point at photos. Thank God for films!